Thill-coupling.



No. 634,116. Patented Oct. 3, I899.

H. A. LUTTBENS. THILL COUPLING.

' (Application filed Apr. 4, was. (No Model.)

F11 1] Fig.2.

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Witnesses. Inven Zor.

UNiTEn "S ATE PATENT OFFICE. I

HENRY A. LUTTGENS, or PATERsoN, NEW JERSEY.

THILL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,116, dated October 3, 1899. Application filed hpril, 1898. Serial No. 676,481. (Nomad) To all whom it may concern/r 7 Be it known that I, HENRY A. LU TTGENS, of the city of Paterson,jState of New Jersey, have made certain Improvements in Thill Couplings for Carriages; and I do hereby. de; clare that the following is a correct description and specification of the same reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures represent the same parts in thediiferent views, also numbered by figures. My invention is an improvement upon a thill-coupling for which Letters Patent of the United States of America were granted to me April 13,1875, No. 161,973, April 14, 1885, No. 315,642, and hiay 11, 1897, No. 581,396. The improvements consist in constructing the spring-cover without an upper or lower lip to hold the same in position atits rear end which enters the coupling, and to make use of the removable stop alone, which enters the spring-cover to hold the same in position. In

' duced: The thill-iron has secured to it by the.

the Patent No. 581,396 a lip bent upward is used for this purpose. The spring-pocket is made of a diameter equal to the width of the thill-iron, and the spring-cap has part of the sides of its cavity removed, so as to admit the larger spring nearly equal in diameter to the width of the thill-iron. If after removal of the thill-irons from the couplings it is de sired to remove the cap and springs, the stop is lowered first, after which the spring-cap can be taken out, and after this the springs.

When the shafts are thrown into an unusual high position when putting the horse before the carriage, the thill-irons are liable to leave the coupling. To avoid this difli cult-y, the following parts have been ,introlower bolt, which connects the shaft and thilliron, asafety-strap loop, which has connected to it a projecting support, which is pressed upon by a safety-strap, when the latter is tightened by raising the shafts into a high position, thereby preventing the thill-iron from leaving the coupling-box. The strap connects at the bottomwith a second straploop whichformspart of a washer and is secured, being held in position by the end of the axle clip-b olt passing through this washer. The top of the washer is provided with a projection which enters the slot required in the rear of the coupling-box to receive the axle clip-bolt. The projection closes the opening position when, the nuts are screwed up at the end of the clip-bolt.

In theacconipanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the thill-coupling; and Fig. 2, a section upon a vertical plane through the center of the coupling, drawn with some parts not shown in section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the coupling-box only. Fig. 4 is a section upon a vertical plane with parts of the coupling placed in-a special position. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lower washer and strap-loop. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the combined safety-strap loopand support for the safety-strap. Fig. 8 is a section upon line a b, and Fig; 7 a section upon line 0 d, of the spring cap. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the same. Similar numbers of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

The principal features of this coupling are the same as described in the Patents Nos. 161,973, 315,642, and 581,396. g f

1 represents a portion ofa carriage-axle, 2 the bed-piece, and 3 the coupling box, which is united by the clip-b01111? to the axle 1 and bed-piece 2. The spring-pocket connects the sides of the'ooupling-box 3.

4 is the thill-iron, to which is secured the lower end of the shafts 5.

The springs 8 and 8e} are placed into the cavity 1 1, provided for them in the couplingbox 3, and a light tin casing covers the outside of the springs at their upper part. The spring-cap 6 is placed within the coupling after the springs are put in position. It is then necessary to press down upon the top of the spring-cap with a short iron bar of proper thickness to bring the cavity 20, provided in the spring-cap, above the removable stop 10, which can then be screwed up into its proper position to hold the spring-cap 6. The'springcap is so fitted that when the springs'S and 8% raise it to its highest position limited by the stop 10 the opening above and between the spring-cap'd and the front end of the clip-bolt 17 is of a proper size to admit the-thill-iron 4.

The spring-cap 6 ,is provided with a cavity 20, the top of which forms a downward-pro- IOO jecting cusp 21, which is above and opposite a similar projection 22, formed in the bottom of the spring-pocket provided in the cou plingboX 3 for the reception of springs 8 and 8 the same as shown in former patents.

The flange of strap-loop 7, which is secured to thill-iron 4 and shafts 5 by bolt 19, is united by an extension 16 to the support 13. The safety-strap 11, which passes around bar 23 and over the support 13, extends downward to and underneath the spring-pocket 3-1,- and around bar 24 of strap-loop 9. The tension of the safety-strap 11 by raising the shafts 5 toward a vertical position causes the safetystrap 11 to press against the front bottom edgeof spring-pocket 3:}- and also' against the support 13 of strap-loop 7, and thereby against the front of thill-iron 4, so that if the safetystrap 11 is of a proper length the thill-iron is compelled to remain within the coupling-box 3 ready to return with a downward movement of shafts 5 into its proper position for use within the coupling-box 3.

A useful and desirable result is attained by the construction of spring-cap G by making the part extending underneath the axle 1 without a downward-projecting lip, such as is shown in Patent No. 315,642. This makes it possible to remove the spring-cap 6 and springs 8 and 8:} (a similar result being shown in Patent No. 582,360, with a different shape of spring-cap) without the necessity of detaching the clip-bolt 17 or removal of the coupling-box 3 if after a more or less prolonged use it becomes necessary to renew the springs 8 and 8-}.

In the new method for changing the springs 8 and 8:}- as regards couplings with clip-bolts this change can be made in less time and without breaking the paint or liability of breaking the clip-bolt by unskilled labor and without loosening the lit of the axlebox 3 upon axle 1.

There is a liability to raise the shafts to an unnecessary height when the horse is being placed in position, and thereby detach one or both of the thill-irons 4 from the couplingbox 3 without its being noticed by the attendant. The provision made by these improvements of placing the safety-strap 11 so as to effectually retain the thill-irons within the coupling-box 3 adds to the safety of the coupling when in the hands of an inexperienced person.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the ad.- vantages of the invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In thill-couplings, a thill-casting having an integral strap-loop 7 and vertical support 13, in combination with a clip-bolt, having a horizontal portion and a loop depending therefrom, and means uniting said loops, whereby the thill on being elevated will retain its seat, all arranged as set forth.

2. In thill-couplings, a thill-casting having an integral loop '7, and a support 13, in combination with a clip-bolt having a horizontal portion and a loop depending therefrom, and means uniting said loops whereby the thill on being elevated will retain its seat, all an ranged as set forth.

3. In thill-couplings, a coupling-box 3 provided with integral clip-bolts and having a spring pocket with a cover substantially smooth on its upper surface, and an adjustable stop 10, whereby the springs can be readily and easily removed from and replaced in said pocket all combined and arranged as set forth.

HENRY A. LUTTGENS.

iVitnesses:

MARY E. DOBBINS, RANDOLPH O. LUTTGENS. 

